60% turnout in Mohali MC polls

Blame it on an upwardly mobile citizenry that does not attach much importance to local elections or simply on the India-South Africa cricket World Cup match, SAS Nagar recorded a mere 60.5% voting for corporation elections on Sunday.

Blame it on an upwardly mobile citizenry that does not attach much importance to local elections or simply on the India-South Africa cricket World Cup match, SAS Nagar recorded a mere 60.5% voting for corporation elections on Sunday.

This is among the lowest turnout in all six corporations that went to polls on Sunday and is lower than the 2014 Lok Sabha poll turnout, which was recorded at 70%. The city has 1.27 lakh voters. Pathankot corporation recorded the highest vote share of 74%. On February 26, the city will get its first-ever MC House comprising 50 members.Voting slow to gain pace

Polling to elect 50 councillors of 190 candidates in the fray, at 118 booths, started at 8am at a slow pace and gathered steam by the afternoon.

In the first hour, only 5% voting was reported in the urban areas and went up to 10% in the rural pockets. Heavy police presence was seen at 16 hyper-sensitive booths.

Wards that made news

42 Violence, bogus voting In Sohana village, Congress candidate Harjit Singh accused the SAD of bogus voting. The accusation led to a brawl so the police had to intervene. The department was accused of siding with SAD candidate Parwinder Singh. Harjit Singh also complained to SSP Gurpreet Singh Bhullar and deputy commissioner TPS Sidhu who reached the venue. Three incidents of violence were reported.

15 Ramoowalia denied entry SAD candidate Harman Preet Singh Prince was accused of bogus voting, as around 30 Bihar natives reached the polling booth to cast their votes in favour of Prince. Independent candidate JS Gujral raised the issue and these women were not allowed to cast votes, as they did not have a valid voter I-card. SAD leader BS Ramoowalia and daughter Amanjot Kaur were not allowed to go inside.

20 SAD-BJP fight In ward number 20, SAD candidate Narinder Singh Lamba and BJP candidate Sahibee Anand were contesting and complained against each other. All candidates had to be thrown out of the polling booth and police presence was beefed up after there seemed no end to the relentless round of allegations and counter-allegations. Tension remained high in the ward for most part of the day.